The area around the original bonfire was now littered with corpses. The men in red had been struck by Fang Shuwen’s Wind God’s Fury and suffered a backlash from their own Inner Strength. They couldn’t be more dead.

Fang Shuwen’s expression was grim. He searched each body, delivering another stab to each for good measure. After checking them all, he had found nothing of value. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

He looked at Lu Guiyan.

"Young Chief of the Escort, they came for me. This has nothing to do with you."

"Let us part ways here... I have some personal grudges to settle."

"You’re out of this mess now. I don’t think you’ll have any more trouble."

Lu Guiyan pondered for a moment upon hearing this. He didn’t try to stop Fang Shuwen, but instead said:

"Brother Fang, you must be careful. Judging by their Martial Arts, their origins are anything but ordinary."

"Thank you for your concern, Young Chief of the Escort."

Fang Shuwen then called Mo Beidou over.

He placed the Ten-Year Dust-Breaking Pill from his robe into Mo Beidou’s hand.

"This is the gift I chose for Master from Zhuji Pavilion. I don’t know when I’ll be back from this trip. Please take it back to him for me."

"After I’ve handled my business here, I’ll return to see him."

Mo Beidou hesitated for a moment before tucking the box into his robe and saying:

"Are you confident?"

"Don’t worry, Brother. I just don’t know if things will go smoothly. If they do, I might be delayed for some time before I can return."

"If they don’t, I might even get back before you."

Fang Shuwen chuckled lightly.

"As they say, it’s impolite not to return a favor. Since they dared to send people to kill me, it’s only right that I return the gesture."

"Besides, if I don’t deal with this, I’m worried our martial arts school will be dragged into it..."

Mo Beidou understood what Fang Shuwen meant. He simply clapped him on the shoulder and said:

"Xiao Shiliu, you’ve really made something of yourself. I can’t compare to you now, and I can’t help much."

"Just be careful out there. The trials of the Jianghu wear a man down. If you get tired, come home."

"We brothers will always have a meal waiting for you."

Fang Shuwen nodded lightly, saying no more. He clasped his fist to Mo Beidou in salute, gave a nod to the distant Lu Guiyan, and then turned and headed in the direction of Flying Snow City.

In truth, he had stirred up a great deal of trouble on his journey.

There were the powers behind the Black Death Sect, and then there was the Hundred Ghosts Hall—the affiliation of Cao Jiuyin, who was killed by Qiuyue Nunnery half a month ago. The Hall was by no means an ordinary foe.

Even Wentian Mansion, one of the Seven Great Sects of the Eastern Domain, had a score to settle with him over a death.

All these matters had to be dealt with, one by one.

He had originally planned to return to Julu City, see Zheng Sihai, and then make a trip to Wentian Mansion to deal with the matter concerning Shi Meng.

But he never expected the people behind the Black Death Sect to come after him this very night.

Although, judging from what the red-robed man had said, it had been a bit of an accident; they hadn’t originally intended to take their revenge on him just yet.

But it was clear that revenge was only a matter of time. Now that the situation had erupted prematurely, and knowing that this group was gathered outside Flying Snow City, how could Fang Shuwen not give them a taste of their own medicine?

They wanted to get their hands on the Seven-String Ancient Chapter, and Fang Shuwen was determined not to let them have their way.

It would be best if he could follow the clues, uncover this group’s true identity, and eliminate them once and for all.

As for the Hundred Ghosts Hall... they were a secretive bunch. Even the Seven Great Sects had little information on them. He would have to take things one step at a time.

If they didn’t come looking for trouble with him, and he couldn’t find any trace of them, then so be it.

But if he caught even the slightest trace of them, then judging by the likes of Cao Jiuyin, Fang Shuwen didn’t intend to spare a single member of the Hundred Ghosts Hall he encountered.

In the past, without his current level of Martial Arts, Fang Shuwen had to be a hundred times more careful, calculating his every move.

But now, having fought several times with his current Martial Arts and proving himself invincible along the way, a heroic spirit naturally swelled in his heart.

He was also willing, when he had the power, to use his Martial Arts to eliminate some of the world’s scourges.

After bidding farewell to Mo Beidou and Lu Guiyan, Fang Shuwen used his Cyan Cloud Step to rush toward Flying Snow City.

They hadn’t traveled very far to begin with. With Fang Shuwen’s current Inner Strength, his speed when using any Lightweight Technique was already extraordinary, and the Cyan Cloud Step was a superior technique in its own right.

Using the technique continuously, it took him only the time of a burning incense stick to bring Flying Snow City into view.

But as far as the eye could see, Flying Snow City was engulfed in raging flames!

Fang Shuwen’s expression changed slightly.

’Have these people gone so mad for the Seven-String Ancient Chapter that they’re willing to burn the entirety of Flying Snow City to the ground?’

With a tap of his feet, his body moved like a wisp of cyan cloud. In the blink of an eye, he was before the main gate of Flying Snow City.

He saw that the heavy city gates were wide open, and the sounds of shouting and killing from within were endless.

Fang Shuwen glanced at the gate. There were no signs of it being forced from the outside. It had been opened from within; the massive gate bolt was resting upright to the side, completely intact.

A cry of alarm came from the distance. With a tap of his feet, Fang Shuwen was already at the source of the sound.

He saw two Jianghu people of unknown origin dragging a woman out of a residence.

One of them held a saber stained with blood.

The woman was crying and screaming, looking back into the house.

Fang Shuwen strode forward. Before the two could react, he had sent the saber-wielding man’s head flying with a single palm strike.

The other man’s face turned deathly pale with fear. He let go of the woman, his hand on his saber, unsure whether to attack or turn and flee.

Fang Shuwen grabbed him by the neck and lifted him into the air.

"Who are you?"

"I... I’m from Flying Snow City!"

"Bullshit!"

Fang Shuwen’s face darkened. He couldn’t be bothered to use ’A Line,’ so he grabbed one of the man’s arms and began to slowly pull it from its socket.

The sound of tearing muscle and grating bone filled the air. The man was scared out of his wits and hurriedly confessed:

"We really are from Flying Snow City... It was the Old City Lord! The Old City Lord ordered us to pose as outside invaders... to burn, kill, and plunder the city!!"

Fang Shuwen’s expression was momentarily strange, but he had no time to dwell on it.

Fires were now blazing in residences throughout the city. Flying Snow City guards were rushing about, fighting the fires while also battling these thugs.

If it was like this out here, he couldn’t imagine what the situation was at the City Lord’s Mansion.

With one palm, Fang Shuwen slammed the man into the ground, leaving only his head exposed. Then, with a turn, he vanished.

The woman who had been dragged halfway down the street, now freed, rushed back into the house.

A moment later, she emerged from the room, her face a mask of despair. She picked up the saber one of the men had dropped and began to hack madly at the head sticking out of the ground.

"You evil bastard, give me back my husband and son... You evil bastard!!!"

Her cries were soon drowned out by the cacophony of battle cries from all sides.

By this time, Fang Shuwen had reached the City Lord’s Mansion.

Along the way, he had seen that most of Flying Snow City’s citizens were being protected by the guards, who had formed orderly formations to face the enemy.

Seeing this, Fang Shuwen didn’t intervene further.

As expected, the gates to the City Lord’s Mansion were also wide open. He had only taken a few steps inside when he heard a whistling sound from above.

Fang Shuwen looked up, saw it was a person, and caught them reflexively. But upon closer inspection, it was a headless corpse...

...

...